The processing and handling of mailpieces consumes an enormous amount of human and financial resources, particularly if the processing of the mailpieces is done manually. The processing and handling of mailpieces not only takes place at the Postal Service, but also occurs at each and every business or other site where communication via the mail delivery system is utilized. That is, various pieces of mail generated by a plurality of departments and individuals within a company need to be addressed, collected, sorted, and franked as part of the outgoing mail process. Additionally, incoming mail needs to be collected and sorted efficiently to ensure that it gets to the addressee in a minimal amount of time. Since much of the documentation and information being conveyed through the mail system is critical in nature relative to the success of a business, it is imperative that the processing and handling of both the incoming and outgoing mailpieces be done efficiently and reliably so as not to negatively impact the functioning of the business.
Mailpiece sorting can be performed manually or with automated equipment designed specifically to perform the sorting task. Manual sorting is labor intensive and time consuming and, historically, has been done using pigeon hole type sorting stations. Typical modern mailpiece sorting apparatus incorporate a feeding mechanism for feeding mailpieces, a separating mechanism for separating the mailpieces from each other, a reading device for reading the information on the mailpieces, a mailpiece transport mechanism for transporting the mailpieces to compartments or bins, bins for receiving the mailpieces, and software for making choices regarding placement of mailpieces into the compartments and a control device.
The operation of automated sorting equipment typically entails an operator placing an armload of mail that has been edge aligned onto the feeding mechanism. The mailpieces are fed into the separating mechanism, read and sorted into bins. Typically, when one or more bins become full, the sorting apparatus stops and the bins are manually emptied into a mail tray by an operator. The mail sorting apparatus may also be stopped when there is a change in sort plan that requires a software change. For example, when a new group of mailpieces needs to be sorted, a new sort plan designating the bins into which the mailpieces will be sorted needs to be determined. This is done by manually making software changes such as, for example, choosing a sort scheme. This typically requires the sorting apparatus to be stopped, the bins swept and new mailpieces to be loaded. The foregoing increases the amount of time that is required to sort the mail.
Thus, one of the problems of the prior art is that some sorting equipment shut down frequently for sort scheme changes or other instructions. Another problem of the prior art is that the sorting equipment sorting time is not maximized. Another problem of the prior art is that changing sorting schemes is time consuming and requires manual reprogramming.